Give It Up for Christ

Why shouldn’t I have more praise heaped on me for the things that I have done and the wins that I have experienced? After all, I am the one that did them all, correct?

“²⁶And they came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.’ ²⁷John answered, ‘A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.’” – John 3:26-27 (ESV)

“³⁵The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.” – John 3:35 (ESV)

“²⁸You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’” – John 3:28 (ESV)

See that John the Baptist was indeed doing great things in the spreading of the gospel and in fact was baptizing people at a fever pace and was doing so before Jesus began. It would have bee natural for him to want the praise for doing those things and being the first to do so and especially with the success he was having.

But, look at the above exchange between John and his disciples. John was quick to let them know in reminder that he was only there to usher in Jesus as the Messiah. John was not in it for the notoriety, he was here to give it up for Christ. In relay races, the one who is remembered is the one who finishes the race. The lead leg is rarely remembered although they are very important. John was here to start the race, or be the lead leg and then he turned things over to God to finish the race. God in this case was Jesus and He was in this world to be remembered.

It is not my role to garner the recognition for the work being done. It is my role to give it up for Christ and His wisdom and actions to bring it home. I have to be the one who starts the race in my world and then I am to hand the baton to Christ to finish the race and bring home the victory.

What is your role in the race? Are you looking to be recognized for the work you are doing for Christ? What if you took the role as the lead leg in the race and then took to give it up for Christ to finish the race?